Collapsible furniture



Oct. 12, 1954 w, BQUCHERA 2,691,410

COLLAPSIBLE FURNITURE Filed Dec. 15, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 12, 1954R w, BQUCHER 2,691,410

COLLAPSIBLE FURNITURE Filed Dec. 15, 1955 2 Shets-She'et 2 Patented Oct.12, 1954 COLLAPSIBLE FURNITURE Raymond W. Boucher, Dothan, Ala.,assignor to Hedstrom Union Company, Fitchburg, Mass, a corporation ofMassachusetts Application December 15, 1:953, Serial No. 398,328

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in col lapsi'ble furniture. Moreparticularly it provides improved collapsible frame structures designedto remova bly receive flexible sheet elements which, in conjunction withthe frame structures, are adapted to serve as chairs, stools, or otheritems of furniture.

Heretofore, chair frames have been manufactured by suitably bending andshaping a single relatively long and substantially rigid metallic rod,with lower bends serving as feet, and with upper bends located andadapted to engage within pockets formed in a sheet element forsupporting the sheet element in spread relation. on the frame. In therod-shaping process, portions of the rod crosseach other at front andback, and at each side of the frame, and the crossingrpo'rtions havebeen rigidly connected together to provide needed rigidity. However,such frames occupy a relatively large space when "in use and whenstored, and they are extremely awkward and space-consuming when itbecome necessary to ship one ora number of itemsfrom place to place."Shipping costs are unduly thigh, and it has been dim-cult and expensiveto adequately protect the items against damage in the course ofshipment.

It is among the objects-of the invention to pro-- vide chair frames, andthe like, of the mentioned general type, having needed rigidityandstrength when set up for use but having the character of being readilycollapsible for storing, shipping and handling purposes. According tothe invention, each-frame, whether a chair frame or the frame of a stoolor other furniture item, comprises-rod sections pivotally connectedtogetherat their ends with each rod seotioncrossing an adjacent rodsection but with the regions-of said crossings shiftable by reason ofpivoted *section' connectors which serve also as abutment seats foradjacent portions of the cross rodse'ctions when the frame is in spreadopen condition, the said pivotal connections of the ends of the rodsections, in conjunction with the said pivoted section-connectors,permitting convenient and eflicientlcollapsing of the frame from itssaid spread open condition to a "relatively compact condition.

Another object of the invention is to provide a readily collapsiblechair frame, or the like, wherein a series of generally straightrelatively rigid rod sections have their ends pivotally connectedtogether with each rod section crossing another rod section, and witheach pair of rod sections which cross each other connected togetheradjacent tothe region of their crossing by pivoted connectors whichconstitute abutment seats for crossing rod sections when the frame is inspread open condition, the pivotally connected end portions of the rodsections at one end of all of the rod sections constituting feet forresting on the floor, or other support, and the pivotally connected endportions of the rod sections at the other end of all of the rod sectionsconstituting generally upstanding spaced frame portions for engaging inpockets of a flexible sheet element to support the sheet element inspread relation on the frame.

It moreover, my purpose and general ob ject to improve upon prior bentrod chair frames, and the like, and more especially to provide readilycollapsible frames for chairs, and comparable items of furniture, of thegeneral type which are formed from relatively rigid rod stock, and whichremovably support iflexible sheet .seat elements and the like.

In the accompanying "drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a-collapsible chair embodying thefeatures of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the frame of the chair of Fig. 1 in apartially collapsed condit-ion;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing, on a larger scale, thelocking toggle at the front of the chair frame :of Figs. 1 and 2;

4 is a fragmentary perspective view, on the scale of Fig. 3, showing apivotal rod-sectiom connector which may be employed at opposite sides ofthe chair frame of Figs. 1 and 2.;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a collapsible stool frame embodyingfeatures of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a view of the under pocket side of a flexible sheet elementadapted to be removably supported on the stool frame of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings, the so-called. butterfly type of chair asrepresented in Fig. 1 has a flexible sheet element 10 of any suitablystrong material removably supported in relatively loose,

spread condition over the chair frame, the under side of the element I0preferably being equipped with a conventional pocket I2 at each of thefour corners of the element, within each of which a generally upstandingportion of the frame engages, only one of the pockets I'Z being visiblein Fig. 1.

The invention relates to the frame structure whereby the chair, or othercomparable item of furniture, may be readily converted between spreadopen and collapsed conditions.

In the embodiment of Figs. 1-4, the illustrated chair frame comprisesfour similar rod sections l4, l8, l8 and 23 and four similar longer rodsections 22, 24, 26 and 28. The lower end of rod section It is pivotallyconnected at 383 to thelower end of the longer rod section 22, and thelower end of rod section is pivotally connected at 32 to the lower endof the longer rod section 24. The upper ends of rod sections l4, [6 arepivotally connected together at St, and the upper ends of the longer rodsections 22, 24 are pivotally connected together at 38. In the samemanner, the lower end of rod section 18 is pivotally connected at 38 tothe lower end of the longer rod section 26, and the lower end of rodsection 26 is pivotally connected at to the lower end of the longer rodsection 28. The upper ends of rod sections i8, 29 are pivotallyconnected together at 42, and the upper ends of the longer rod sections26, 28 are pivotally connected together at 44.

In the assembled frame, each rod section extends across andsubstantially in contact with an adjacent rod section but it is afeature of importance that the portions of the rod sections which aredisposed across each other are relatively movable to permit variation ofthe angular relation of the crossing rod sections. To this end, eachpair of crossing rod elements are pivotally connected togetherrelatively close to the region of crossing of the sections. Referring toFig. 2, each rod section has a connector member rigid thereon andpivotally connected to an adjacent similar connector member. Theconnector member on rod section it? is indicated at it pivotallyconnected at Hi to the connector member 2! on rod section 2G. Theconnector member I9 on rod section i8 is pivotally connected at it tothe connector member 23 on rod section 22. Connector member i'i on rodsection it is pivotally connected at ii toconnector member 29 on rodsection 28, and connector members 25 and 27 on rod sections 24 and 25,respectively, are pivotally connected together at 25*.

Each connecting member is formed with a projecting abutment having agrooved edge for seating a rod section when the frame is spread open asin Fig. 1. This is best seen in Figs. 3 and 4 wherein the connectormembers it, 2i on rod section Hi, 28 are shown located above the regionof crossing of rod sections M, 22, with the abutment grooves 15 2P atlower edge portions of the connector members so that rod section I seatsin groove 2H and rod section 28 seats in groove 15 when the frame isfully spread.

The connector members 25, 2'! on rod sections 24, 28, as seen in Fig. 4,are located below the region of crossing of rod sections 2t, 26, whichis true also of the connector members ll, 29 and IS, 23 at the oppositesides of the frame. Connected members 25, 2'! have their abutmentgrooves 25, El at upper edge portions thereof with groove 25 in positionto constitute a seat for rod section 26, and groove 23 in position toconstitute a seat for rod section 25 when the frame is fully spread.

Preferably, the pivotally connected lower ends of the rod sections areequipped with short cylinders 4'8 of rubber, or the like, to avoidmarring of the floor when the chair, or comparable item, is usedin-doors. Also, if desired, means may be provided for releasablymaintaining the frame in its fully spread condition, such a means beingindicated generally at 3, and shown in detail in Fig. 3, associated withthe rod sections I4, 20 at the front of the chair frame. Toggle links53, 52 are pivotally connected respectively to rod section [4 and rodsection 20, are pivotally connected together at 54, with an invertedU-channel element 56 at the connection 54. Hence, when the links 50, 52are pressed downward into alignment, the element 56 stops the links insubstantial alignment and the toggle maintains the frame fully spreaduntil the toggle is broken preparatory to collapsing of the frame.

Ordinarily, the sheet element I!) will be removed before collapsing theframe.

Figs. 5 and 6 relate to a modification in the form of a collapsiblestool in the frame of which all of the rod sections 58 may be identicalin shape and length, and fewer in number than in the chair frame ofFigs. 1-4. All of the pairs of connector members, indicated generally at69, may be identical, with all of the pairs located below the regions ofcrossing of the rod sections generally similar to the connector members25 and 2'! of Fig. 4. The stool frame of Fig. 5 collapses generally inthe same manner as the previously described chair frame.

A triangular shaped flexible sheet element 62, as shown in Fig. 6, hasthe corner pockets 64 at its under side, each adapted to engage over theupper pivotally connected end portions of a pair of rod sections, thesame as described in connection with the sheet element iii of Fig. 1.

The herein disclosed collapsible frame features may be embodied invarious items of furniture, and it is intended that the patent shallcover, by suitable expression in the appended claims, whatever featuresof patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

1. A collapsible frame for an article of furniture, comprising a seriesof relatively rigid rods of which each rod is disposed in crossingrelation to another rod to provide at least three pairs of crossingrods, the opposite ends of each rod being pivotally connected each toone end of a rod of a different pair of crossing rods thereby to provideat least three lower rod-end pivotal connections and at least threeupper rod-end pivotal connections, connector means adjacent to theregion of crossing of each said pair of crossing rods, each saidconnector means comprising two connector elements of which each is rigidon a different one of the crossing rods and the two connecting elementsbeing pivotally connected together at a location spaced from the regionof crossing of the rods on which said connector elements are rigid, theconnector element on each crossing rod having a projecting abutmentagainst which the adjacent crossing rod seats when the crossing rods arein a predetermined angular relation, with said lower rod-end pivotalconnections adapted to rest on a support, and with said upper rod-endconnections adapted to support a sheet element in spread relation to theframe.

2. A collapsible frame for an article of furniture, comprising a seriesof relatively rigid rods of which each rod is disposed in crossingrelation to another rod to provide at least three pairs of crossingrods, the opposite ends of each rod being pivotally connected each toone end of a rod of a different pair of crossing rods thereby to provideat least three lower rod-end pivotal connections and at least threeupper rod-end pivotal connections, connector means adjacent to theregion of crossing of each said pair of crossing rods, each saidconnector means comprising a pair of pivotally connected ears of whichone is rigid on each crossing rod adjacent to the region of crossing ofthe rods whereby the crossing rods are relatively movable about thepivot of the connector elements, and abutment means on each connectorelement for stopping relative movement of the crossing rods with therods of each pair of crossing rods in predetermined angular relationsuch that said lower rod-end pivotal connections constitute spaced feetfor resting on a support, and said upper rod-end pivotal connectionsconstitute spaced elevated supports upon which a spread sheet elementmay be removably mounted.

3. A collapsible frame for an article of furniture, comprising a seriesof relatively rigid rods of which the opposite ends of each rod each ispivotally connected to an end of a different rod, with each rodconstituting, with another rod, a generally V-shaped portion of theframe, and with each rod constituting, with still another rod, agenerally inverted V-shaped portion of the frame, whereby the lowerrod-end pivotal connections of said V-shaped portions of the frameconstitute spaced feet for resting on a support, and the upper rod-endpivotal connections of said inverted V-shaped portions of the frameconstitute elevated spaced supports for a sheet element which may bespread over the frame, each said rod being disposed in crossing relationto another rod, and means adjacent to each region of said crossing ofrods pivotally connecting together the crossing rods, each saidpivotally connecting means having abutments thereon upon which saidcrossing rods seat when the crossing rods are in a predetermined angularrelation.

4. A collapsible frame for an article of furniture, comprising a seriesof relatively rigid rods of which each rod is disposed in crossingrelation to another rod to provide at least three pairs of crossingrods, the opposite ends of each rod being pivotally connected each toone end of a rod of a different pair of crossing rods thereby to provideat least three lower rod-end pivotal connections and at least threeupper rod-end pivotal connections, connector means adjacent to theregion of crossing of each said pair of crossing rods, each saidconnector means comprising two connector elements of which each is rigidon a different one of the crossing rods and the two connecting elementsbeing pivotally connected together at a location spaced from the regionof crossing of the rods on which said connector elements are rigid, theconnector element on each crossing rod having a projecting abutmentagainst which the adjacent crossing rod seats when the crossing rods arein a predetermined angular relation, with said lower rod-end pivotalconnections adapted to rest on a support, and with said upper rod-endconnections adapted to support a sheet element in spread relation to theframe, and means associated with one of said pairs of crossing rodsoperative to releasably lock said crossing rods in their saidpredetermined angular relation.

5. In a collapsible chair and the like, a frame comprising at leastthree pairs of relatively rigid rods of which each rod has its oppositeends each pivotally connected to an end of another of said rods withsome of the rod-end pivotal connections low down on the frame andconstituting feet for resting on a support, and with an equal number ofthe rod-end pivotal connections at elevated locations on the frame forremovably supporting a flexible sheet element in spread relation on theframe, each of said rods being disposed in crossing relation to anotherof said rods, a pair of pivotally connected connector elements adjacentthe region of each crossing of rods with one element of each said pairrigid on each of the adjacent crossing rods whereby the crossing rodsare relatively movable in closely adjacent parallel planes, each of saidconnector elements having a projecting abutment upon which one of thecrossing rods seats when the crossing rods are in a predeterminedangular relation, and a flexible sheet element having pockets at itsunder side whereby said sheet element may be removably spread upon theframe with each of said elevated rod-end pivotal connections engagedwithin a said pocket of the flexible sheet element.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date D. 172,068 Derbeken Apr. 27, 1954 244,215 Fenby July 12, 18812,587,543 Smith Feb. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 1,138Great Britain 1877 967,608 France Nov. 8, 1950

